Process for the conversion of oils



Original FiledJupe 1-5', 19.165

Oo.. ooo

' Suce/mm 3Q generated vapors.

JOSEPH ii. ADAMS, or BROOKLYN, NnWYoi-iiz, assicnon fro l'rias-TEXAS coiicirAiiY,A or Nawy YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or TEXAS.

- h5 sa Pnoenss ron T'HECQNVERSION or oiizs.

-Original application led June 15, '19.16, Seriall No. 103,725. Divided and this application led .Tune 28,

1923. SerialN'o. 648,240.

This invention relates broadly to the art of converting fluids such as oils' into products of dissin'iilar character from the4 orig- .inal untreatedoils, by heating the oils., vapopizing 4them under pressure, then cracking and transforming such oily vapors while under vapor pressure into lighter vapors which, as converted. and when condensed underpressure,l will result in lower boiling products from original high boiling oils.

In its Vmore intense aspects the invention consists in a thermal and vapor pressure method of converting the vapors of semi and -more or less refined mineral-oils as those of lig it oils and oily spirits of Iboth the aliphatic and aromatic series.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 103,725,filed June 15,1916. l' One object of the invention is to formulate a process of a commercial nature for transforming higher boiling oils into lower boiling productsby vaporizing thel oil, cracking y and condensing the vapors while maintaining the whole system under pressure of the vide al simple and commercial process of cracking or converting high boiling hydrocarbonoil in the vaporphase into lower r boiling products, and particularly to insure an efficient and effective conversion process by preliminarily heating the oil lto substantially its boiling or vaporization point under superatmosp'heric pressure and then discharging or expanding it .into vaporous form and cracking it in the vapor phase under superatmospheric pressure and cracking temperature, after which the evolvedv vapors are condensed and collected.

The invention is clearly distinguished from methods of fractional distillation by which hydrocarbon oils are commonly separated into distillates according to the respective boiling points thereof, inasmuch as by the practice of my invention the molecular construction of the higher boiling hydrocarbons-is transformed so as to produce lower boiling point products.

AIt has been my' purpose to eect'this conversionin the least expensive and most practical manner and to that end my process and method embodies broadly some or all of the steps of first heating, then' vaporizing' the oil, then cracking and transforming thc condenser being preferably in .free communication with the converter.

In carrying out my invention in its pre- .ferred form, the oil is preheated to'approximatelyits boiling or vaporization point-under' sufficient superatmospheric pressure to maintain it in liquid form. The highly preheated liquid oil in wl'iiclithe latent heat of vaporization has been supplied, in estate of incipient vapor-ization, is then discharged orreleased into an enclosed cracking chamber, which is maintained at .a cracking temperat'ure and at a superatmospheric pressure somewhat less than that under which the oil islpreheated, whereupon the liberated oil A expands and breaks into vaporous form in which it is-subjected to the Afull cracking heat.

of the chamber and effectively cracked or converted in the vapor phase. The cracked vapors pass to a condenser which is maintaineda at substantially the saine pressureas that of lthe converter, the desired pressure being maintained by control-ling the ldischarge of liquid and gases from the apparatus. By properly cont-rolling'the oil supply and the discharge of' the generated products the process may be operated continuously.

Other objects and features of theinvention will become apparent to thoseskilled inthe art from the following description of a ypreferred illustrative embodiment of the invention.

The description of the process is facilitated by means of the single figure 'ofthe accompanying drawing showing an illustrated embodiment of apparatus. adapted for ion which the oil is heated, then through pipe 8, to the tubes 9 and chamber 1Q of converter C, Where the vhot oil breaks into spray -or mist like vapor so that in such gaseous form it may come in contact with cracking heat ving 35, 4of heat enduring land insulating material for confining the heat and anysuitable means may bev provided for heating this chamber, such as oil, or gas burners o r other economical means of fuel consumption. I.

prefer making the converter itself in tubular form so that there will he a large heatingsurface presented as compared to thevolume' of vapor undergoing conversion passing through the converter; and in the form shown in tlie'iigure, the converter C comrises a pipe coil 9 and an enlarged chamer 10. rl`he oil'pre'ha'ited under pressure to substantially its vaporizaton point at the pressure in the preheater B, is delivered through valve 26 in a thin stream into the bottom 'of the lcoil 9 through which it rises and is then admitted into the enlarged chainber 10. Both the coil 9 and the chamber 10 are heated to intense cracking temperatures which are in excess of the temperature of the preheater. Therefore, as the oil, in a state of incipient vaporization, rises through the pipe 9 4and into the enlarged chamberlO, the relation of'heat to pressurel is such that the oil in transit Will break into and maintain a vaporous form in which 1t is cracked. t

The vapors, after being subjected to the high temperature in the coils S) and the e n larged chamber 10, pass out through pipe 1 1,

to separating chamber 12, where the lighter converted vapors rise and flow through pipe v13, to condenser D, Where, in the coils 14,

the vapors are passed down and condensed to liquid; and, together with the fixed gases generated during the process, are drawn off through pipe 15 and valve 16, into running trap'tank E, which-is provided with a draw off pipe 17, controlled by valve 18.

Y It Will be understood that the supply tank A, can be refilled from time to time through the inlet pipe 1, andthat the supply of oil from that tank to the converter C, may be augmented by air ,pressure which is applied over the surface of oil in the tank in order to force it into the 'preheater B, aii'dso on into the converter C, the valve 2, being closed as Well as the valve in vent pipe 3, and the air` pressure being registered on pressure lie compressed air may be supplied from any suitable source (not shown) and may conveniently be introduced through the pipe 8 if desired. maintained upon the supply of oil to force vit through the preheater against the back pressure of the converter and to hold the heated oil in liquid form While being raised to substantially its corresponding boiling point and until i-t is introduced by releasing or spraying it into the converter in which it immediately vaporizes and is cracked.

Sufficient pressure is thus rllie preheater B, is intended only to heat the oil sulliciently to cause its easy vaporization, when admitted to the converting chamberI or coils 9, through pipe 8, and is not intended to perform any cracking operation; the heated oils at the time of admission to the said chamber then being at a temperature sufficient to immediately vaporize and expand them for the vapor conversion process.,

The temperature of the converter C, is raised to such a point as will crack or convert the oily vapors int'o lower boiling products or convert them `into products -having essentially different natures,

` By reason of the preheating of the oil to substantially its vaporization point, the heat of the converter is fully expended in eti'ectively cracking the oil in the vaporphase.

It will be seen'thatthe condenser D, is in open communication with the converter C, lthrough pipe 11, and separator 1.2, and therefore any pressure in the converter will extend to and through the condenser.

The continual feeding of'neWA quantities of liot oil to the apparatus will build up or raise the vapor pressures inthe converter; and consequently throughout the' condenser, so that the vapors undergoing the crack- 'ingioperation will at all times be -under superatmospheric pressures While being subjected to cracking heats. This pressure is' of course the result of the expansion due to the vaporization and lfeat, and is somewhat less than that utilized 'tol force the oil -through the preheater and hold it in liquid form.

This pressure maintained in the converter and through the condenser may be regulated by controlling the discharge of the fixed gases which aie always generated t0 a more or less extent in the converter.

The condensation of vapors-also tends to reduce the pressure and thus control of the escape of fixed gases is sufficient to enable the operator to maintain the pressure desired.-

iis

lessees densed vapors through the pipe 15, into the trap tank E, and their escape throughv the pipe '19, is controlled by valve 20.

i lWhen the process is in operation pressure 1n the converting system will be reg1stered D, and the. running trap tank E, the re-' lease blow off valve 21, is provided and may be located overthe condenser D.

The gauges 30 and 32, register vapor pressures whilevin this form of apparatus gauge 31, on the preheater B, registers the'oil pressure wllichin all cases should be below the pressure maintained over the oil in supply tank A, as registered on gauge 33.

Vapors which pass out from the expansion chamber 10, through pipe 11, and into.

the separator column 12, may there be separated into the lighter ones, which pass to the condenser D, and heavier partially or wholly unconverted vapors which will drop to the bottom of the column together with particles of coke or carbon.

rlhe bottom of this chamber 12, is con nected to overflow hot oil tank G, by means of pipe 22, the flow of oil through which is regulated and governed by valve 28, and .this column 1Q, is also provided with a detachable plate 24, so that solid or' semi-solid matter and deposit may be removed from time to time. '.lhe material collecting in the tank G may be'returned to thesupply tank for further treatment, the pump H serving to draw ott' theoil through the line 25 and return it to the tank A through the line 84. Preferably the process'is operated as a continuous one', oil being continuously supplied from tank A, through preheater B, to the converter C. The operation of forcing' orspraying the hot oil into the converter where it immediately vaporizes and the generatedself-imposed pressure of the vapors due to the cracking operation tend,A

of course, to raise the pressure in the converter but this is compensated for by the condensation of the vapors in the condenser and the regulated escape of fixed gases and' thus, even in the continuous operation., the pressure inay be maintained at the number of pounds desired throughout the continnous use of the process.

lt will be understood by those skilled in the art that the temperaturenecessary in the preheater l, converter C, andthe pressure of the' vapors in the converter through the condenser will vary with the characteristicsof the particular oil being treated and therefore it is not possible to state any detinite figures which would be 'applicable to all oils.' '.llhe operator may ydetermine rwhen he gets the proper temperature in converter by the character of the product coming from the condenser. As illustrating the adaptability of my process for use with oils of widely different boiling points and of widely differentl characters'itmay be said that a kersosencdistillate with an initial boiling point of 300. F. can be con'veited into distillate having an initial boiling point below .100 F. and a heavy paraffine gas oil having an initial boiling point of 400 to 500o F. can

be converted into a distillate having a boil!v ing point of 100O l?. or less.

- If,in the use of my process, it is desired to secure the greatest yield of gasoline the operation should be so regulated as to 0btain a converted lproduct having an initial boiling 'point of 100o F. or less;

Subject to variations, in accordance with the particular oils and operating conditions` ll now believe that the present process of oil conversion is preferably conducted at tenn'ieratures from 1000O to 1200o F. and.

at pressures of from 70 to 90 pounds in the cracking converter. rThe temperatures might in some cases run as low as, or even lower than 900o F. or as high as 1500c 1?.,While the operating pressures might range between 50 and pounds or even considerably higher.'

The process, however, is primarily a vaporl phase process and, therefore, the operating temperatures preferably will be somewhat higher than those commonly employed 1n processes of oil conversion in the liquid phase.

A While .it is possible to bring aboutthese changes and convert higher into lower boiling compounds it is impossible to broadly state specific pressures and temperatures applicable to oils in general, as thenatures of crude hydrocarbons as wellA as the distillates of crude oils vary so greatly in their ico composition and qualities that 'it is impossible to apply a` fixed rule to oils in general and particularly to those which as a lmatter of commercial advantage would be available for conversion by the application to ,them of this process. l K

The present invention relating to the procs ess is, of course, not. limited to the use ot a specific apparatus and it may be performed in various Ways. l believe the fundamental steps of the process above set forth to be broadly new and by the language ernployed in the following claims it is my 1ntention to cover the process in its broadest aspect.

What lt claim is:

1. A continuous. method of convertinghigh Vboiling hydrocarbon oilv into `lower ,boiling products, that comprises continuous'- cracking coil of restricted cross section main-- w@ tained at a cracking temperature ,whereinl the oil is partially cracked, and expandingI the partially cracked oil into an enlarged craeliing;l chamber maintained at substantially the same cracking temperature and superatinosplierio pressure as in the coil and in which the oil is further cracked.

2. A continuous method of convertinghigh boiling hydrocarbon oil into lower boiling products', that comprises continously heating a .moving tream of oil under Supe-rfatmospheric,pressure to a point of incipient i raporizntion whilemaintaining it in liquid o torni, delivering the heated o1l to and orcingl it under superatinospherio -pressure through an extended cracking coil of. re-

manana Strioted cross section maintainedat `a cracl ing teniperature'wherein the oily breaks into vaporou's forni and'is partially cracked, eX-

panding the partially cracked oil 'nto an en* larged cracking chamber maintained at sul)- stantially the same'superatniospherlo pressure and cracking temperature asin said coil and in which further cracking o' the oil is effected, and removing the cracked and uneraoked oil from the chamber While condensing the cracked vapors under superatmos plieric pressure.

Josisrn n. Anime. 

